Articles in this section

Inter-Metro Connectivity

Equinix connects many of our ECX fabrics together between metros. These connections are sometimes referred to as remote connections. This fabric allows users to reach desired services and components—even when those resources are not located in the same metro—as the user’s current assets. This greatly increases the number of clouds, software and other use cases that are possible—locally colocated assets in the same metro as the cloud provider’s assets are recommended, but not required.

This interconnected ECX Fabric is currently available in all North America, Asia Pacific and EMEA metros where ECX is available. The workflow to create connections to participating cloud providers in remote metro locations is very similar to that for connecting to local cloud providers.

The ECX platform is connected to the backbone in each metro via dual-home connections to two diverse routes using LAG ports with dynamic LACP for future scalability. The backbone routers run point-to-point level 2 IS-IS (with LFA and BFD enabled), MPLS LDP and MP-iBGP protocols, resulting in a highly available fabric that is optimized for cloud reachability.

Any provider can opt to receive connections from remote metros by doing so in their service profile.

Architecture highlights:

Each metro ECX platform is dual-homed to at least two different NSPs

Dual-homed ECX connections

Ports provisioned as LAG ports with dynamic LACP for scalability

Supports MP-eBGP, LDP/RSVP/FRR

Protocols to trigger cutovers (ISIS-BFD and ISIS-LFA)

HA (failure of one BR will not disrupt inter-metro forwarding performance)

RR runs on 960 chassis

Any provider can opt to receive connections from remote metros in their service profile (read more about service profiles later in this document).